Kia VengaNow there’s a new name, and if you’re not a multi-linguist you might be wondering what it means. Those whose annual holiday is to Benidorm – assuming they’ve travelled inland a few kilometres away from the anglicised excesses – will no doubt know it comes from the Spanish word meaning ‘to arrive’. So the Venga is here.Built on the same platform as the Soul (Motorsville review here), the Venga is a 5-door hatch just a little over four metres long, which pitches it roughly against the Fiesta. Although it seemingly has the height to enable it to mix with the mini-MPV crowd, Kia sees it not as a conventional mini-MPV but as a B-segment car “with genuine space and practicality”. It appears to get progressively wider from top to bottom, a legacy of its wide track, and it has a sort of crouching stance thanks primarily to the wedge-shaped double shoulder creases and the kick-up in the rear passenger windows that all get progressively higher as they flow from front to rear.It’s powered by a choice of three engines (two petrol and one diesel), but if you go for the larger petrol one you’re forced into having an auto gearbox. The diesel motor comes with ISG, which translates as Intelligent Stop and Go, Kia’s name for the increasingly prevalent automatic stopping of the engine when you find yourself, as you so often do, in heavy traffic. Most unusually, for this class of car, Kia have equipped all models with Electronic Stability Control and Traction Control, the system which should help avoid unwanted spins; and lets face it, unless you’re rallying you really don’t need them.The Venga is a roomy machine, with boot volume of 440 to 1253 litres, and enough room in the back seats to keep the vertically unchallenged happy. The split rear seats slide fore and aft by up to 130mm to allow passenger accommodation to be further stretched when maximum luggage capacity is not needed. Alternatively, a two-tier boot means that owners who occasionally need more than the standard cargo space can expand the luggage area simply by moving the floor. The luggage compartment thus becomes 163mm taller, extending total volume to 570 litres. If more space is required, the rear seats have what Kia calls ‘Fold & Dive’ – a system which allows them to fold into the floor, creating a completely flat deck in the load area and expanding total space to a cavernous 1486 litres.The running gear is based on that devised for the Kia Soul, and benefits from the Venga's unusually long wheelbase and wide track. Talking of the Soul, a new 1.4-litre 89bhp U2 diesel engine, related to the 1.6 in the Kia Soul, makes its debut in the Venga. It’s been designed and engineered in Germany and will be manufactured at Kia's Zilina plant in Slovakia. My drive of this one was if anything more impressive than the 1.4 petrol, which itself is not a bad motor. Interestingly, these two 1.4 engines have precisely the same power output on paper, but thanks to the diesel’s vastly greater torque – its maximum a whopping 60% more to be precise – which is delivered from 1750rpm in contrast to the petrol’s need for 4000revs to hit its max, the real-world effect is of a more powerful car that’s easier and more relaxing to drive.The Venga is, as you’d expect, easy to drive, though those swept-up rear windows don’t help the visibility at the rear quarters. The interior is comfortable, but it’s probably wise to add that the seats are unexpectedly firm, almost to Germanic levels. Interior design is smart, if chromatically unadventurous, but the interlocking 'three-cylinder' hooded dials with chromed surrounds do look stylish, and more importantly should be free of reflections.Seven variants of the Venga are available at launch. In keeping with other recent Kia introductions and updates, the three trim choices will be badged Venga 1, Venga 2 and Venga 3, which makes it nice and easy for us. All models are well specified, with even the base having air con, driver's seat height adjustment, tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment, electric front windows, remote central locking and tinted glass. Every single Venga also benefits from Kia's unique seven-year/100,000-mile entire car warranty. First introduced on the cee’d range, the warranty is unrivalled across Europe and is a great statement of belief by Kia in their quality. It’s transferable to future owners should the car be sold during the duration of the warranty.Kia’s sales, like those of Hyundai, are massively up recently thanks to the scrappage scheme. In the first two months of 2010 Kia in the UK has actually achieved a 275% increase. The Venga can only add to the success story.Size: 4.07m x 1.77mEngines: Petrol: 1.4 & 1.6 litres – 89 & 124PS Diesel: 1.4 litres – 89PSGearbox: 5/6-spd manual & 4-spd auto FWDBest Consumption: Diesel – 62.8mpgPrice at March ’10: £11,495 to £15,395Full details of the Kia Venga range available on the manufacturer’s website: www.kia.co.ukPeter CracknellMarch 2010
Kia Venga
Now there’s a new name, and if you’re not a multi-
linguist you might be wondering what it means.
Those whose annual holiday is to Benidorm –
assuming they’ve travelled inland a few kilometres
away from the anglicised excesses – will no doubt
know it comes from the Spanish word meaning ‘to
arrive’. So the Venga is here.
Built on the same platform as the Soul (Motorsville
review here), the Venga is a 5-door hatch just a little
over four metres long, which pitches it roughly
against the Fiesta. Although it seemingly has the
height to enable it to mix with the mini-MPV crowd,
Kia sees it not as a conventional mini-MPV but as a
B-segment car “with genuine space and practicality”.
It appears to get progressively wider from top to
bottom, a legacy of its
wide track, and it has a
sort of crouching stance
thanks primarily to the
wedge-shaped double
shoulder creases and
the kick-up in the rear
passenger windows that
all get progressively
higher as they flow from
front to rear.
It’s powered by a choice
of three engines (two
petrol and one diesel),
but if you go for the
larger petrol one you’re
forced into having an
auto gearbox. The diesel
motor comes with ISG,
which translates as Intelligent Stop and Go, Kia’s
name for the increasingly prevalent automatic
stopping of the engine when you find yourself, as you
so often do, in heavy traffic. Most unusually, for this
class of car, Kia have equipped all models with
Electronic Stability Control and Traction Control, the
system which should help avoid unwanted spins; and
lets face it, unless you’re rallying you really don’t
need them.
The Venga is a roomy machine, with boot volume of
440 to 1253 litres, and enough room in the back
seats to keep the vertically unchallenged happy. The
split rear seats slide fore and aft by up to 130mm to
allow passenger accommodation to be further
stretched when maximum luggage capacity is not
needed. Alternatively, a two-tier boot means that
owners who occasionally need more than the
standard cargo space can expand the luggage area
simply by moving the floor. The luggage
compartment thus becomes 163mm taller, extending
total volume to 570 litres. If more space is required,
the rear seats have what Kia calls ‘Fold & Dive’ – a
system which allows them to fold into the floor,
creating a completely flat deck in the load area and
expanding total space to a cavernous 1486 litres.
The running gear is based on that devised for the Kia
Soul, and benefits from the Venga's unusually long
wheelbase and wide track. Talking of the Soul, a new
1.4-litre 89bhp U2 diesel engine, related to the 1.6 in
the Kia Soul, makes its debut in the Venga. It’s been
designed and engineered in Germany and will be
manufactured at Kia's Zilina plant in Slovakia. My
drive of this one was if anything more impressive
than the 1.4 petrol, which itself is not a bad motor.
Interestingly, these two 1.4 engines have precisely
the same power output on paper, but thanks to the
diesel’s vastly greater torque – its maximum a
whopping 60% more to be precise – which is delivered
from 1750rpm in contrast to the petrol’s need for
4000revs to hit its max, the real-world effect is of a
more powerful car that’s easier and more relaxing to
drive.
The Venga is, as you’d expect, easy to drive, though
those swept-up rear windows don’t help the visibility at
the rear quarters. The interior is comfortable, but it’s
probably wise to add that the seats are unexpectedly
firm, almost to Germanic levels. Interior design is
smart, if chromatically unadventurous, but the
interlocking 'three-cylinder' hooded dials with chromed
surrounds do look stylish, and more importantly should
be free of reflections.
Seven variants of the
Venga are available at
launch. In keeping with
other recent Kia
introductions and
updates, the three trim
choices will be badged
Venga 1, Venga 2 and
Venga 3, which makes it
nice and easy for us. All
models are well
specified, with even the
base having air con,
driver's seat height
adjustment, tilt and
telescopic steering wheel
adjustment, electric front
windows, remote central
locking and tinted glass.
Every single Venga also benefits from Kia's unique
seven-year/100,000-mile entire car warranty. First
introduced on the cee’d range, the warranty is
unrivalled across Europe and is a great statement of
belief by Kia in their quality. It’s transferable to future
owners should the car be sold during the duration of
the warranty.
Kia’s sales, like those of Hyundai, are massively up
recently thanks to the scrappage scheme. In the first
two months of 2010 Kia in the UK has actually
achieved a 275% increase. The Venga can only add to
the success story.
Size:
4.07m x 1.77m
Engines:
Petrol: 1.4 & 1.6 litres – 89 & 124PS
Diesel: 1.4 litres – 89PS
Gearbox:
5/6-spd manual & 4-spd auto FWD
Best Consumption:
Diesel – 62.8mpg
Price at March ’10:
£11,495 to £15,395
Full details of the Kia Venga range available on the
manufacturer’s website: www.kia.co.uk
Peter Cracknell
March 2010
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